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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · band · lash · vault · scale · shower · kick · can

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. can — to be able to
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — in music
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — size or range
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. band — a ring
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com